"First Layer of the Strange Gate Seal!"
Just as Lei Li was still muttering the incantation, a figure had already appeared behind him like a ghost, slamming the rapidly pulsing Light Seal in his palm heavily onto Lei Li's wide-open back.
"Pfft!"
The blow sent Lei Li flying backward. He fell from the Combat Arena like a kite with a snapped string and lost all ability to resist.
Lei Li of the Earthly Yuan Realm lost after a single move!
"......"
The stands fell into a deathly silence.
Lei Bao had risen to cheer for his grandson. His mouth hung open, and he forgot to close it, making him look comical.
The Referee had just waved to signal the start of the match. He rubbed his eyes, confirmed again and again that the battle had ended as soon as it began, and called out in a trembling voice, "Match over! The Champion of this Hunting Competition is Lin Dong of the Lin Clan!"
"Boom!"
Those words seemed to flip an invisible switch. Tens of thousands of spectators erupted, cheering for the Martial Art prodigy of the Lin Family who had defeated an Earthly Yuan Realm Expert in a single move.
"No, this round doesn't count. Li'er hasn't even used the Sudden Thunder Strike, one of the Lei Family's two great secret arts—a Fourth-Grade Martial Art. The match must be held again before the result can count."
Lei Bao, panicking, blurted this out without thinking.
"Bullshit. The match result is already decided. Since when can you, Lei Bao, declare it invalid? Do you think Qingyang Town belongs to the Lei Family alone?"
The moment Lei Bao's words fell, a furious shout suddenly rang out from another direction—it was Lin Zhentian, who had abruptly risen to his feet.
"That's right, that's right! The champion is Lin Dong! Lin Dong!"
"Tch, this old ghost Lei has no shame. Tens of thousands of us watched him, and he still wants to renege. What nerve!"
Lin Zhentian's words drew a chorus of agreement. Jeers swept toward the Lei Family's seats, leaving its members too ashamed to raise their heads.
"I......"
Aware that he had incurred the public's wrath, Lei Bao's mouth twitched for a moment, but in the end he gave up arguing, dejected—though the look he gave Lin Zhentian was as dark and cold as still water.
This old scoundrel actually dared to scheme against him, Lei Bao. If Lin Dong could defeat Lei Li, who had already advanced into the Earthly Yuan Realm, in a single move, then Lin Dong's true strength was certainly not the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering that the Lin Family had publicized. This was clearly a trap dug for him, Lei Bao.
"If your Yuan Power Cultivation were as nimble as your tongue, you wouldn't have lost so badly."
Lin Dong watched Lei Li struggle to his feet and spoke with indifference.
"Pfft!"
Lei Li spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood, and his complexion eased. Shame and fury drove him to spit out another large mouthful of fresh blood.
Lin Dong jumped from the Combat Arena and nodded to Wu Yun and the others, who stared at him in stunned silence. He then walked out of the Beast Horn Arena without looking back.
The Lin Family members had been waiting for Lin Dong. They rose from their seats, gathered around the victorious hero, and prepared to leave.
Just before leaving, Lin Zhentian laughed heartily, looking extraordinarily pleased with himself. "Old ghost Lei, I'm a man of little patience. You'd best hand Ironwood Manor over to my Lin Family within three days. Otherwise, I'll come personally with my men to take it."
The Lei Family's refusal to hand over Ironwood Manor would suit Lin Zhentian even better. Having entered the Yuan Dan Realm, he had been looking for an excuse to wage war on the Lei Family and deal with the Lei and Xie Families at the same time.
"Lin Zhentian, you......"
Lei Bao's expression changed. He started to rise and retort, but the Lin Family group had already swaggered away.
The triennial Qingyang Town Hunting Competition came to an end. The Lin Family youth who defeated an Earthly Yuan Realm Expert in one move during the Final Match became famous throughout Qingyang Town and across most of the surrounding region within a hundred miles.
.....
"Eldest Brother, have the men prepare. Once the three days are up, we'll send people to take Ironwood Manor, whether the Lei Family agrees or not."
Having returned to the Lin Clan Grounds, Lin Zhentian gave his instructions to Lin Ken.
Now that Lin Zhentian had entered the Yuan Dan Realm, he took a harder line with the Lei Family and no longer had to consider matters as carefully as before.
"Yes, Father."
Lin Ken and his brothers exchanged glances. They knew Lin Zhentian was likely about to move against the Lei Family, so they answered in unison.
Lin Dong pretended to go out again. He retrieved the three Fire Python Tiger Cubs from the Ancestral Stone Space and brought them back to the Lin Family, then gave two to Lin Zhentian, claiming that he had found them during the day's match.
Lin Zhentian was overjoyed to receive the two Fire Python Tiger Cubs. He realized that they meant the Lin Family would gain two more Heavenly Yuan Realm fighters in the future. He clapped his hands and decided to give Lin Dong the Lin Family's ancestral Cultivation Method manual, the Azure Yuan Art, and its only Fourth-Grade Martial Art, the Pure Yuan Finger, to cultivate.
Lin Dong, who had already learned both from Lin Xiao long ago, could only pretend to be grateful.
After a busy day, Lin Dong returned to his room without feeling tired. He cradled the little red beast, stroked its smooth tiger head, and said with a smile, "From today on, I'll call you Little Flame."
"Whimper whimper~"
Little Flame was only a few days old and might not have understood him. It merely whimpered softly; at that age, it was no bigger than a palm.
"Hm, must be hungry, right? Let me find you something to eat."
Lin Dong turned his hand over, and a drop of red liquid appeared at his fingertip. Little Flame was a Fire Python Tiger cub capable of triggering the Ancestral Stone. Though its eyes were still closed, it eagerly lapped up the Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid.
"Haha, eat up, eat up. Grow quickly, and I'll have a more impressive mount." Lin Dong smiled as he watched Little Flame eat.
After Lin Dong entered the Yuan Dan Realm, the spirit liquid formed when the Ancestral Stone absorbed energy from the air was of little use to him. From then on, Little Flame could consume the Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid exclusively.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, but the Lei Family still had not handed Ironwood Manor over to the Lin Family. The Lin Family had prepared for this and did not bother asking why. They gathered their men and headed straight for Ironwood Manor.
The Lin Family's three great experts—Lin Zhentian, Lin Ken, and Lin Xiao—led dozens of skilled clansmen out in full force. Lin Mang, the Lin Family's second uncle, stayed behind to guard the Lin Clan Grounds.
Ironwood Manor was a vast estate sprawling across a wide area. Its gates were made from Ironwood, the manor's specialty product.
Ironwood, Ironwood Manor's specialty, was as hard as refined iron and impervious to water and fire. It made excellent construction material and was ideal for forging weapons, bringing enormous profits when sold. This was the main reason the Lei Family refused to return Ironwood Manor.
Yet no one had ever dared disturb Ironwood Manor, a major Lei Family stronghold. Now dozens of skilled riders on tall steeds surrounded it, and the atmosphere was tense.
"Lin Zhentian, what are you doing? Do you intend to go to war with our Lei Family?"
Two figures stood atop the high walls of the black estate: Lei Nuo and Lei Ying, the Lei Family's two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts. Both looked panicked.
The Lei Family's original plan had been to stall for time under various pretexts and refuse to hand it over. To guard against the Lin Family resorting to force, they had specifically sent Lei Nuo and Lei Ying to stand guard here.
But the Lin Family did not even ask. They brought a large force and surrounded Ironwood Manor, with Lin Zhentian—the Lin Family's "number one expert"—coming in person. Lei Nuo and Lei Ying could not help but panic.